Rebounder classes:

Alongside Jane Fonda and the ThighMaster, the rebounder (née mini trampoline) was hot fitness property in the spandex-clad ’80s. Now it’s bouncing back, this time pitched as a low-impact alternative to mainstream forms of cardio. According to NASA research it’s “the most efficient form of exercise yet devised by man”, and up to 68% more effective than jogging. Sorry, running – this is 2016.

With sessions lasting between 20 and 45 minutes, routines are heavy on the cardio but typically include core work and strength exercises using both bodyweight and free weights. You don’t aim for air (sadly), instead focusing on pushing down into the springy surface – knees bent, hips back – to create an ever-shifting centre of gravity, keeping your core engaged and forcing your stabiliser muscles into action.

Rebounding’s purported benefits are myriad; among them, better circulation, posture and flexibility. And while the targeted core work and constant instability will undoubtedly sharpen your abs, it’s the high-intensity, low-impact nature of the class that makes it such a promising prospect for sustainable weightloss. Intrigued, and rather too excited about bouncing ourselves into shape, MH jumped in with both feet.

Test methods

Perhaps it was the “low impact” tag, or the talk of how rebounders reduce shock by 90% compared to the pavement, but after running to the studio, I couldn’t help but wonder if the most taxing part of my workout was already behind me.

I was wrong. Spectacularly so. By the end of the five-minute warm-up (basic mobility exercises like flies and shoulder rolls) I’ve sweated harder than during my entire 5km jog here. I also appear to have left my dignity at reception, along with my backpack. While my fellow bouncers (mostly female) soar with grace and ease, I find mastering the rebounder a challenge. My first few hops throw me out of sync and leave me flirting perilously with a wood-floor interface. But, given the science – bodyweight increases threefold at the bottom of a bounce, then vanishes when airborne – my amateurishness is perhaps to be expected.

The session quickly ramps up, with high-intensity bursts of star jumps, high knees and toe touches. My abdominals throbbing, calves on fire, the only thing louder than the ear-piercing dance tunes is the sound of my heart thumping in my skull. With a new bounce coming every half a second – or quicker, if I was any good – I struggle to suck in enough oxygen. The room starts to spin.

Dowsing myself in water in the first (and only) 20-second break, I judge my prayers have been answered as our effervescent instructor tells us the next move will be floor-based. But, rather than the lie down I was angling for, it’s a hard minute of mountain climbers, followed by sprints back aboard the trampette and, when I am at my lowest ebb, some decidedly camp dance moves.

The session winds down with some recovery stretches, although by this point I’m merely holding myself in place.
I feel broken. Beaten. Vanquished by a modified bouncy castle. If its claims of low impact are true, at least my body won’t be in tatters come tomorrow. For now, rebounding’s spring-action intensity has reduced me to a wheezing mess.

User feedback

Spring up - The glut of touted fitness benefits means rebounding could legitimately be prescribed by GPs whether to ward off cardiovascular disease, combat obesity or support post-injury rehab.

Go steady - Well, you get to play on a trampoline. Which is a benefit, of sorts. If the monotony of running has you digging your heels in, this class could provide the injection of motivation your weightloss needs.

Recoil - Hopping along to dance tunes on a mini trampoline is unlikely to score you and fist bumps from the muscle heads in the weights room. But only you can judge whether the gain is worth the shame

The verdict

My initial doubts about the intensity of a jump-based workout were promptly drowned out by the puddle of sweat bouncing around my feet.

Delivering an acute cardio hit in a lunch break-friendly timeframe, rebounding would be a valuable addition to any gym regimen – from heavy lifters loathe to step on a treadmill, to marathoners in search of variety, or the perennially injured whose joints crave respite. Even the gym-shy can get in on the act, with compact, quality rebounders available for a snip of the price of a gym membership (around £100 and up), meaning you can enjoy an intense cardio workout without the fear of plummeting headfirst in a room full of strangers.

Either way, we recommend you take the leap. After all, until water fights become the next hot gym fad, rebounding might be the single most fun way to get fit and relive your pre-teen years at the same time. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you when your first attempt leaves you curled up in the foetal position.

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